Rescued
by HungerGamesFan Amanda
Summary: Peeta's been rescued from the Quarter Quell arena, and Katniss has been captured by the Capitol. How far will Peeta go to get her back?
1. Chapter 1

**In Mockingjay, Peeta gets hijacked. We all know the pain Katniss went through, not knowing if Peeta was alive or dead, because of her. Now, we see what would happen if Peeta had been rescued from the Quarter Quell arena, instead of Katniss.**

"Katniss! Katniss!" I shout, stumbling through the undergrowth of the jungle. "Katniss!"

"Peeta!"

Katniss. That was Katniss. She's alive! But Brutus and Chaff are not. I killed Brutus. I must have scared her half to death. What if she thought I had died when the cannons went off?

"Katniss! Katniss, I'm coming!" I shout, even louder this time.

When no reply comes, I fear the worst. What if she's been attacked, because I gave out her position? "Peeta!"

"Katniss!" I call out. I hear a scream, a scream that is most likely Katniss's. I strain my ears, waiting for the cannon shot, but it never comes. Instead, I'm blown off my feet, while the world around me goes up in flames.

I must be dead. Yes, I'm dead. Katniss is too. Maybe Finnick or Johanna won the Quarter Quell. Either way, it doesn't matter to me. After all, I am dead.

I open my eyes. How can that be? I'm dead, so how can I open my eyes?

I feel something get attached to my arm. "Shh, shh, Peeta, you're ok," a soothing voice says, stroking my hair. Is it Katniss?

Maybe. But Katniss is probably dead, even if I'm alive. I'll kill myself if she's dead. Like I said on the beach, no one needs me. And if Katniss is gone, it's true.

I attempt to sit up, but I'm pushed back down. There's a small belt binding me to the table. I must be in the Capitol. There's no other reason I would be trapped on a table.

A pain leaves my ribs, echoing out to the rest of my body. They're torturing me! Before I can fight back, I feel something sharp enter my neck. Everything goes black.

I wake up, still believing I'm being tortured by the Capitol. But I'm not. The belt around my waist is gone, which is a good sign.

I stand up, out of bed. Across from me is Beetee, who is still out cold. I walk out of room, bent on finding Katniss.

But I don't find Katniss. Instead, I find Haymitch, Finnick, and Plutarch Heavensbee.

"Welcome back, Peeta," Haymitch says. "Where is she?" I say, almost forcefully. "Where is who?" Plutarch asks, a bead of sweat forming on his forehead.

"You know who I'm talking about," I reply.

They stare at me blankly, but Finnick gives me a knowing glance. "They took Annie, too," he says. Annie Cresta, his lover. Was she taken by the Capitol, too?

"Where is Katniss? I need to see her," I say, keeping my composure.

"K- Katniss?" Plutarch asks, sweating more.

"Yes, Katniss," I say, my anger rising.

"Oh, she's fine."

"Where!?" I demand.

"The Capitol got her. They got Annie, too," Finnick says, before breaking out in tears.

"The- the Capitol got her?" I ask, feeling light-headed.

"Yes," Finnick replies.

I don't think I can go on. This is worse than she being dead. If she were dead, then she would no longer come in harm's way. Now, she's as good as dead, but not quite. She's going to be tortured, for information she doesn't have.

This alone makes me faint.


	2. Chapter 2

**I took a few liberties with this one, to fit better with Peeta's character. I hope you enjoy!**

 **Chapter 2**

This is a world I do not want to live in. A world without Katniss. A world where no one needs me.

I'm now in Distract 13, but it wouldn't matter if I were a hole. No matter where I am, I won't care.

They try to make me eat, but I refuse it. I have no reason to go on anymore. Katniss is gone. Maybe forever. Maybe she'll be dead by the time we get her back. I have no idea.

"Hey, Peeta," Finnick says, standing in the doorway of my hospital room. "Finnick! It's, uh, good to see up," I say, trying to sound as cheerful as possible.

"What about you?" he asks. I'm taken aback. I don't really feel like living anymore. It just isn't worth it.

"I don't think I can go on without Katniss, Finnick," I reply.

"Peeta," he begins, in all seriousness, "I have faith they'll bring Annie back alive. And you need to, too."

"I just can't. Really, the only thing that would make me get out of bed in the morning, was the prospect of getting to see Katniss again. Now even that has been taken away from me. Not even my family cares enough to sympathize with me," I say.

"About your family," Finnick says, looking down at his shoulder. "What about them?" I press.

"They're gone."

"What do you mean, "Gone"?"

"Peeta, they're dead."

"Did Snow kill them, to get back at me?" I say, my voice cracking.

"No. He killed the whole of District 12, just to get back at you."

I can't believe what Finnick is telling me. He killed District 12, just to get back at me?

No, no, that's impossible. Snow would have had more motives than that.

"Is everyone dead, then? Like, Prim, and Mrs. Everdeen?" I ask.

"Well, no, not exactly. Gale got a whole bunch of people out of 12 before the bombs went off."

Gale. He's always got to be the hero. At least he got Prim out alive. And Mrs. Everdeen.

"Is Prim alright?" I ask. She's the only thing I have left of Katniss. I'll need her to get through this.

"She's fine. She was one of the first people Gale got into the forest."

I sigh, my shoulders sagging. Prim's safe. Ok, Gale, I'll give you that. You did well with that one.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Odair, but we'll have to take you back to your room now," a sympathetic nurse says.

Finnick sighs, before waving me a half-hearted goodbye. After Finnick leaves, I fall asleep, waking with nightmares of never getting Katniss back. I want more than anything to have Katniss right next to me, her head snuggled up in the cavity below my chin, where it fits so perfectly.

When I wake up, I notice my artificial leg has been removed. Now I can't get out of bed, or I would be forced to crawl. I wonder why they've taken it off.

I get an answer when I'm visited by Beetee, who is now sporting a wheelchair.

"Good morning, Peeta. Glad to see you awake," he says. So it's morning. I can't tell, in this room with no windows.

I nod. He continues, "I bet you are wondering where your leg went."

He chuckles. I just keep on nodding, not saying a word.

He waits for an answer, but when I give none, he explains.

"We have done a little modifying on it. We noticed how it seemed to almost fall apart when we were in the arena."

I can't remember this happening. Maybe it happened during the explosion. Or maybe Beetee needed a reason to make me a new leg.

I have a feeling that third one is the truth, but I don't ask.

"We oiled the hinges and added a more sound grappling to the real part of the leg. That way it can't fall off, unless we take it off," that sounds reassuring, knowing they could take my leg off as easily as Cato did.

Beetee wheels over to my bed side and begins to put the leg in place. "Would you like to give it a try?" he asks. I nod again.

I shakily stand up. The leg feels good, much more sound than the one the Capitol made me. I nod, a little more cheerfully than before.

"Peeta, is there a reason you aren't talking to me?" he asks.

I think about what I'm should say. "I'm so used to being watched, having all my conversations recorded, my every move seen, that I just can't seem to speak freely anymore," I explain.

Beetee nods. "I see. I, too, experienced this when I first came in conversation with someone here. But you will get over it."

Beetee tries to sound assuring, but I can tell this isn't his strong suit. Beetee, turns to leave, but I stop him.

"Wait!" I begin. He turns back toward me. "Yes, Peeta?"

"Is it true they got Katniss and Johanna?" I need to know this. I don't feel like I can trust Haymitch after he lied to me and Katniss. I don't really care about Johanna, but I want this to seem like it's just about me and Katniss anymore.

"Yes, Peeta, they got them," he replies.

I feel like all the life has been drained out of me. Having confirmation Katniss is being tortured or even killed right at this very moment.

I collapse to the floor. Beetee looks down at me with terror in his eyes. He flags down a nurse, who sedates me with a needle.


	3. Chapter 3

**Here's chapter 3! I realize the beginning of this story is really boring, but please stick with me! Peeta will start to film propos pretty soon, so it will get better!**

 **Chapter 3**

When I'm released from the hospital, I'm taken to a compartment. I soon realize it's about ten paces from the front doors to the infirmary. Great, they don't trust me enough to live farther than a few feet from medical professionals.

The compartment is small, made for only one person to reside in. There is a bed built into the wall, with a thin mattress and a small pillow. The walls and floor as made of white tiles. It makes me think I'm being held prisoner in here.

A little box in the corner still stands empty. I wander over to it, and open the lid. It must be a place to store personal belongings. I have none, so it remains completely empty.

Then, I remember something one of my doctors said. "The only place left standing is the Victors Village." At the time, I wasn't interested, but it means all my stuff is still there.

My paintings, my bed, everything must still be intact. I think they left it alone so they would have a place to stay if they ever felt the need to come there.

The next day, I'm wanted in Command. I follow Gale there, although I'm still not happy with him for not saving my family.

"Ah, Peeta, welcome to Command," Plutarch says. "This is President Alma Coin of District 13. I trust you have met," Plutarch finishes.

"No, I haven't," I reply coldly.

Coin ignores me and gets straight to the point. "Soldier Mellark, we have called you here today to discuss the rebellion."

She seems to want me to reply, but I don't.

"Since the Mockingjay is out of commission, we need someone to be the face of the rebellion. No one will ever replace the Mockingjay, of course," she seems to cringe as she says that last sentence.

"We are asking you to do fill this void. You have a way with words, so I believe you will be a perfect voice for the rebellion."

I don't reply. "Do you except or not?" Coin asks. "Madame President, I think you should let him think it over," Plutarch suggests.

Coin is silent, then says, "Fine. You have one day. You will get back to us tomorrow."

I have a feeling Plutarch thinks I won't except if I'm forced to do it now. I have to agree.

She dismisses us, and I leave, going as fast as I can to my compartment. I notice Finnick entering the room next to me. "Hey, Finnick, you got out of the hospital!" I say, trying to sound happy.

"Yeah, but I'm about one foot from the door," he replies.

"Me, too."

We stand in silence for a few minutes. "I want to go back to 12," I blurt out.

"You do? Why?"

"They left the Victor's Village alone. I have belongings, still there," I reply.

"Oh."

I walk into my compartment, then turn around. "Hey, Finnick! Do you have a paper and pencil I could use?"


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

When I walk into Command the next day (morning? Night?) I'm treated to many hopeful faces. Plutarch and Fulvia Cardew and nodding encouragingly.

"Alright, I'll be your voice," I begin. Everyone, except Coin and Gale smile.

"But," I continue, "I have some _conditions_."

"Conditions? Like what?" Plutarch asks, clearly nervous.

"First, we make the first possible attempt to liberate the captured victors."

"Done," says Plutarch.

"The captured victors will be given _full_ immunity, when liberated."

"No!" Coin exclaims. "Why not?" I press.

"District 13 does not allow this!"

"Then you can find yourself a new voice!"

I turn, leaving the room without bothering to be dismissed.

I don't know why I'm acting like this. This isn't who I am. I wouldn't say this doesn't anything to do with not having Katniss, but it doesn't seem right. It seems like something else has taken over my body.

The next day, I don't show up to Command. I completely disregard my schedule, and instead, I hide in closets and boiler rooms.

"Mr. Mellark, you aren't supposed to be in here!" a woman's voice calls. I ignore her.

"Mr. Mellark!"

"Leave!"

"Peeta!"

"Go away!"

I hear footsteps coming down the small, metal hall. I'm in an elongated boiler room, trying to shut the world out.

A woman's face appears beside me. I slide further down the wall, away from her, away from reality.

Before I can do anything else, a sharp pain enters my neck. I try to fight off the anistetic, but everything still goes black.

"I don't understand what's happening to him, Dr. Aurelius. It doesn't make sense," a voice, most likely a doctor's says.

I groan, to get their attention. "Ah, Mr. Mellark, you're awake. Lovely," Dr. Aurelius says.

The next day, I'm released yet again from the hospital. This time, I show up to the Command meeting, after Finnick came and told me that my "My presence was requested."

I expect to get scolded for walking out on everyone in a fit of rage, but I don't.

"You said you would agree, so you agreed," Coin says.

"I said I would agree if my conditions were met! They obviously were not!" I shout.

"Soldier Mellark, you still agreed. Whether or not the demands were met is no concern to you!" Coin shouts back.

"It is a concern to me, since I came up with them!" I'm afraid my anger will take over again.

I sit down before continuing, "Like I said, I came up with the conditions, and I will have them done, or you will find someone else."

"Madame President, I must say that you need to agree to Peeta's demands," Plutarch says.

"Demands? Who said anything about demands?" Coin asks.

"Well, you for one," I say.

"Fine. We will agree. What else do you want from us?" Coin asks.

"I want to go into 12," I say.

Coin just nods.

"And, we will give the captured victors full immunity, when we liberate them," I finish.

This time, Coin doesn't lash out, and she doesn't deny it. I hide a triumphant smile underneath a frown.

"Anything else?" Plutarch asks, almost like he hopes I have more. I think about it. "Yes, actually. You will announce the victor's full immunity in front of the population of 13."

"Fine. Schedule it for Reflection," Coin says.

We are dismissed, and I follow Finnick back to our quarters. We sit in my compartment, watching the TV.

It's mainly Capitol propaganda, but we see something interesting. It's Caesar Flickerman, the Capitol interviewer who I'd had plenty of interviews with him.

But it's not him who shocks me, it's his guest. It's Katniss Everdeen.


	5. Chapter 5

**Yeah, I know I made Katniss seem way more hijacked than Peeta was, but I had to. I had to have a reason for Peeta to go to 8 and be bombed by the Capitol, and it was because he didn't want to have to think about Katniss's situation.**

 **Chapter 5**

"So, Katniss, we didn't think we'd be seeing you again," Caesar says.

"I didn't think I'd see you again, Caesar," Katniss replies.

"Katniss, I think what we've all been wondering, is what really happened that last night in the arena?" Caesar asks.

"Well, you have to imagine the utter terror I felt when those cannons went off. One of them could've signaled Peeta's death."

"Ah, and I feel Peeta thought the same, seeing as he shouted for you."

"No, I don't think that. I think Peeta was trying to give out my position."

What? I feel like I might faint. Why does she think this? She seems fine otherwise, so why is she thinking this?

"Never mind that, Caesar," Katniss says dismissively.

"Katniss, why did you blow out the force field?" Caesar presses.

"I had to, Caesar. I had to escape from Peeta, that monster," Katniss says.

"Alright, I think that's we've run out of time, Katniss."

"No! Don't trust him! He's a monster! A monster, I tell you!" Katniss's voice can be heard while the camera cuts to black.

Finnick is looking at me. "We didn't see it. We didn't see it, right, Peeta?"

"Yeah. Yeah, we didn't see it," I reply shakily.

"You should probably get some sleep, Peeta."

"Finnick, how did you get over Annie so quickly?" I blurt out.

"Huh? It was weird. One day, I'm barely living, then I wake up the next day, I feel perfectly fine."

"Is it that easy? Just waking up?" I ask.

"It was for me."

In Command, no one mentions the interview, but I can't stop thinking about it. They talk about different rebellion things, such as propo filming, but I'm not listening.

I stare off into space, curled up in a ball on my chair. "Soldier Mellark! Soldier Mellark!"

"Huh?" I ask, breaking from my reverie.

"Like I said, we are going to film a propo in the studio," Coin says.

"Oh, yeah, ok," I reply.

We are dismissed, and Finnick comes to me. "Peeta, you need to pay attention. We do not need people knowing we saw it, ok?"

"Why was she acting like that?" I ask, completely disregarding what Finnick said.

"I don't know, Peeta. You need to move on. We have to film propos and we can't have you acting like this. You have forget you saw it."

"How?" I ask.

"Sleep tonight. Like I did with Annie," Finnick starts to walk away, but I stop him.

"Why would you give up on her, Finnick?"

"Give up on her? I never would give up on her, Peeta."

I shove past him. When I arrive at my compartment, I sit down on my bed. I don't want to move on from Katniss. I don't want to just wake up and not care anymore.

I hear a knock on my door, sometime during the night. "Peeta, it's Prim. Can I come in?"

"Go away," I mumble into my pillow. "Peeta, please, I need to talk to you!" Prim pleads.

"Fine!"

She opens the door, flooding the room with artificial light. "What do you want?" I snap.

"I want to tell you they have Portia," she says.

"Portia? How on earth did they get her?" I ask.

"I don't know. You'll have to ask Plutarch. He administered it."

"They got Portia, but they couldn't get Katniss?" My voice cracks as I say this.

"No, they couldn't. Plutarch said it was too risky."

"Why did he tell you and not me?"

"He told me to tell you, since you had locked yourself in your room for three days."

Three whole days? How? That's impossible. I'm not even remotely hungry or thirsty.

"C'mon, let's get you some food," Prim says, dragging me out of bed.

We meet Gale in the dining hall, along with Finnick. "Hey, Peeta, did a three good sleeps help you?" Finnick asks.

I shake my head. "No, I didn't sleep. I was too afraid to wake up and not care anymore, like you," I say coldly.

Finnick looks taken aback. "Peeta," Prim says. "What? It's the truth."

"Either way, you shouldn't have said that."

"And why are you, of all people, telling me how to act?"

"Do you miss her?" Prim asks. I don't know why she's even asking. I obvious I can barely live without her.

"Of course. I don't know why you're asking in the first place, Prim."

"Peeta, I don't like what you've become. You're aren't the same anymore. Why?" she asks.

"Because, I saw what Katniss said! She thinks I'm a monster, Prim! Her mind is gone, she is gone, Prim! She said it herself, Prim, I'm a monster! I shouldn't be be trusted, Prim! Did you see it, huh, Prim? Well she said it, she did! She thinks I tried to kill her, by giving out her position! She said she blew out that force field, to escape, to escape from me!"

Now, by this time, everyone around me is staring. Prim is in tears. "I, uh, uh, I…" I don't get to finish, for a needle enters my neck.


	6. Chapter 6

**I'm sorry this chapter is so long, but it's important for the story, but the chapters will be shorter next time!**

 **Chapter 6**

"Peeta, you shouldn't have done that," Finnick says. "I know, Finnick, I was angry, I wasn't myself, I had to get it out," I reply.

He shakes his head. "I'm sorry, Finnick. Now everything thinks I'm completely and totally crazy. You were right, Finnick, I shouldn't have said it, but I did, and I can't change that."

I sit in a hospital bed, in a room that is practically reserved for me. Prim hasn't seen me in days, but Finnick won't leave me alone. Every day he comes in, and starts telling me how wrong I was to do that.

I feel like I'm living in a nightmare, but when I wake up, my reality isn't any better.

"Peeta, you had a simple, simple task. You just had to say it, didn't you?" Finnick says.

"Finnick, you haven't moved on, and I know it."

"Peeta, you're right. I'm far from moving on. I'm broken, like a glass vase. And Annie is my bottle of glue."

Katniss is mine. Although I'm not quite sure if I'm broken yet.

The next day, Finnick doesn't show up, but the doctors are intent on keeping me for another few days.

Instead, Prim visits me. "Prim, I'm sorry about what I said the other day. I know I shouldn't say this, either, but what I said was true. I don't know if you saw it or not, but I did. Katniss said it all."

Prim looks like she might cry again. She leans in and hugs me. "I know. I saw it, too. Don't worry, Peeta. You're not the only one suffering."

My next visitor is none other than Mrs. Everdeen. "Prim told me about the other day. Katniss really said all that?" she asks.

I nod. "I can show you. They've been playing re-runs in the districts," I say, gesturing toward the TV.

She sits down on the edge of my bed, looking toward the TV. Tears well in her eyes when she sees Katniss yelling about how I'm a monster.

"Peeta, I'm so sorry. I didn't know this was happening," she says.

"It's f-fine. I'll be fine," I say, my voice shaky.

"Peeta, they've put you in the Mental Ward for a reason. I want you to get over this reason," with that, she leaves the room.

They've put me in the Mental Ward? And what reason was she talking about? Was she talking about what Katniss said the other night?

"Peeta, people as losing hope. If we don't so something soon, the Capitol will regain power, and we will never get Katniss back," Plutarch says the next day, when he visits me the day I get out of the hospital.

"Well, I can't do anything locked up in a Mental Ward deep underground," I reply.

"I understand that, Peeta. But we are asking for your help. Can you do this?" Plutarch asks.

"I- I don't know if you're gonna want me, Plutarch. No offense, but I'm not the boy I used to be. Not having Katniss has destroyed me," I reply.

"That's just it, Peeta. We are offering something to take your mind off Katniss."

I sigh. "Where do you want to send me?" I ask.

"Back to 12."

The next day, I'm aboard a hovercraft. It reminds of the ride back to the Capitol after my first games, when I they gave me my artificial leg.

"Here we are. Let me warn you, it's pretty bad down there," says Gale, who came with me here.

"You sure you want to go alone?" he asks.

"I'm sure. I have to do this myself," I reply, before stepping out of the hovercraft.

I wander through the still-smoldering remains of 12. I don't look down, afraid of what I might see. I succeed as this, until I step on something crunchy. I look down, to see a human skull, now horribly disfigured from being stepping on, and I suppress a scream.

I speed away, toward the Victor's Village. I start to turn the doorknob on my front door, when I hear a meow behind me. "Buttercup!"

Buttercup meows again, then hisses at me. "Buttercup, do you want to see Prim again?" I ask in a sweet voice. The cat almost seems to nod.

I lift Buttercup up, and enter my home. The kitchen counter is covered in old flour, stale bread sits on the table, and a half finished painting sits on the easel. I walk over to it, and I see that it is of Katniss.

"Peeta, we gotta go!" Gale shouts in my ear. "Jesus, Gale, no need to shout!"

"Peeta, Capitol planes! Seriously, get out of there!"

"What? Capitol planes? Gale, I'm in the Victor's Village, they're not gonna see me!"

"Suit yourself, but if you're caught, it's not my fault."

I continue through the house, not remotely worried about Capitol planes overhead.

I enter my room, and see a white rose laying on the bed spread. "Snow," I hiss. I reach for the rose, then through it out the window, watching it hit the ground in satisfaction.

I watch the skies, waiting to see if planes fly overhead, but nothing does. Then I figure it out. The planes must be invisible. Great. Attackers I can't see.

"Peeta, we need to head back soon. Are you done in there yet?" I feel like Gale is asking if I'm done in the restroom, because he needs to go, too.

"Almost. Let me go into Katniss's place first," I reply.

"Don't. The planes will see you."

I ignore him, and after grabbing a small box of my paints and recipe book, I head over to Katniss's house, right across from mine. Inside, I grab her parent's wedding picture, Katniss's hunting vest, and a locket from Prim's room.

On my way out, I pass the study where Snow visited Katniss before the Victory Tour. On the desk, there is singular, white rose, identical to the one on my bed. I reach for it, but I hear the door open down stairs.

Gale, he must be coming to find me.

"Wasn't back there, and wouldn't have any reason to go into Abernathy's place, so I say he's in here somewhere," A voice says.

Good god, the Capitol saw me. I shouldn't have through the rose out the window. That must have given me away.

"Well, you check upstairs. I bet my left arm he's in the Mockingjay's room," another voice says.

I dive under the desk, though if they come in here, they'll see me easily. But I need to be quiet.

"Peeta, are you coming?" Gale asks through my ear piece.

"I'm a little held up right now," I whisper.

"Why?"

"Capitol soldiers got me trapped in Katniss's house," I reply.

Gale whispers something, and I think he swore.

"Get out of there!"

I rip the ear piece out of my ear, and through it across the room. It goes skidding over the wood planks, hitting the wall with a soft thunk.

"Hey, did you hear that?" One of the soldiers ask.

"Yeah. What was that?"

"Mellark. We're close to him."

"Close to Snow seeing us for who we really are! The best Peacekeepers around!"

"Shut up, President might hear!"

I frantically look around for a better place to hide, or a way to escape. Coin won't be happy if I go and get myself captured because I wouldn't listen to Gale.

The floor boards creak, and the two Peacekeepers come into the study.

"Oh, Mellark? Come out, come out, where ever you are!" One of them coos.

"Hang on, do you see that?" the other says excitedly. They both stoop down low, and look at me under the desk.

"Hello, Mellark. Ready to come to the Capitol?"

I say nothing, just try to figure out how to get out of this.

"Upside is, you'll see your little Mockingjay again!" One says.

"Peeta! Peeta!" The ear piece on the floor, in which Gale's voice eminates, screams.

"Ooo, what do we have here?" the shorter Peacekeeper bends down to pick it up.

While they inspected the ear piece, I start to stand up. "Oh, no, you don't," one says, pinning me to the floor.

"Hello, rebel on the other side of this ear piece, you can go now, we've got this covered from here on out," the Peacekeeper cackled.

The two Peacekeepers keep on laughing, and I kick the one holding me down in the stomach. He recoils, falling off me.

The other Peacekeeper tackles me, and I push him off me. He goes flying, shattering the window.

I take off running through the house, bounding down the stairs, and tearing through the still open front door.

"Gale!" I scream when I get outside. I'm still running, but I don't know where I running to. I'm just running.

I find the hovercraft landed just outside the fence. "I thought you said it was too dangerous to land for a long time," I say when I enter the craft.

"Peeta, Peeta, Peeta," Commander Boggs says when I enter the cockpit. I don't reply, but I'm interrupted by Buttercup.

"Peeta, you brought a cat?" Boggs asks. "It's Prim's. I couldn't leave him behind," I reply, stroking Buttercup's head.

"Alright, let's head to 13. That's enough excitement for one day," Boggs says.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Suddenly, I'm in the hospital again. A nurse pokes her head into the room. "Oh, good, you're up," she says. I don't reply.

I don't really feel like talking. I can't stop thinking about my close encounter with torture, and possibly death.

"Peeta, Portia is here to see you," the nurse says. I nod, staring at the wall.

"Hello, Peeta," Portia says.

Again, I don't reply. "Peeta, Plutarch told me to tell you that if you are feeling good enough, you can go to 8 for the propo. President Coin said that if you don't, your conditions will be terminated. Just thought I add that," Portia explains.

"What happened?" I ask.

"You passed out in the hovercraft, coming back from 12. The doctors wanted to keep you under surveillance, but said it would be fine if you went, on Coin's orders."

So basically, if I don't go, Katniss will never be rescued, and if she is, she will punished for things she was being forced to say. Lovely, just lovely.

Later, I stand, ready to board the hovercraft to take me to 8, when Finnick dashes up.

"Peeta, they won't let me go!" he cries. I realize this must mean a lot to Finnick, but I don't want to put his life on the line.

"Oh," I begin. "Finnick, Beetee told me he had a trident for you!"

"Really?" Finnick dashes off once more.

I hear Boggs chuckle behind me. "What?" I ask playfully.

"Nothing," he says.

I sink back into my reverie, after being strapped in tightly into a seat in the hovercraft.

"Peeta, I need to talk to you," Gale says. I say nothing, just nod.

"Peeta, I want to warn you, this is a fully loaded war zone."

I know that, no thanks to you, Gale. I continue nodding. "Peeta, are you okay?" he asks.

"No," I say.

"Why not?"

I don't know why he cares. He's never cared about me before. I'm pretty sure he still despises me, but I'm the closet thing he has to Katniss. "Peeta?"

A woman, who looks pretty Capitol to me, asks.

"I'm Cressida, the head of the film crew. This is Messalla, Castor, and Pollux," Cressida says. I nod.

"I'm not sure what's up with him, Cressida. He's asking strange," Gale says.

"I understand he just narrowly escaped capture; I would say it's normal," Cressida replies.

Gale does not reply. I can tell he's thinking hard about it. I would bet he just found it as another reason to hate me.

Everyone leaves me alone for the rest of the ride to 8. I sit, not moving, not quite asleep but not quite awake. Eventually, we arrive and I try to break myself of this. After all, I'm going to have to talk to injured people here, and that requires actually talking.

"Commander Boggs, pleasure to see you," Commander Paylor of 8 says.

"As to you, Paylor," Boggs replies.

Paylor turns to me. "Mellark, good to see you're here and alive. We weren't sure," Paylor says with a laugh.

I laugh nervously. She leads us to large warehouse, repurposed as a hospital. Even before we enter, the smell is terrible. Blood, vomit, and worst of all, death, fill the air.

Paylor pushes open the door, and my first reflex would be to vomit on sight, but I don't. I must stay strong, for Cressida. For the propos. For my dignity.

I push on through the hospital, lifting my head high. I'm trying not to look down, but I can't help it.

I want to vomit again. Bloody bodies sit on every available space, and the ground is still covered with the injured.

"Peeta? Peeta Mellark?" a voice says behind me.

I turn. It's a boy, maybe twelve. Just old enough to go into the Games, but have no real chance at winning. I immediately pity this boy.

"Why are you here?" another person asks.

"Are you here to fight? To fight with us?" the boy asks.

I nod. "Yes, I- I am," I stutter.

"What about Katniss?"

I realize just how in-the-dark these people are. They don't even know who made it out of the Quarter Quell arena safely.

"She was captured by the Capitol. She's being held prisoner, played to be on their side," my voice cracks as I say this.

The warehouse is overcome with waves of gasps and grief. People are more worried about Katniss then they are about themselves.

"What does Snow want us to do? Give up, because Katniss is no longer at our aid?" the boy asks.

"No, he thinks we will see Katniss was on their side the whole time, and we'll give up hope, let the Capitol take control once more," I say.

"But we won't," the boy says.

"Right. We'll keep fighting, for the sake of the Mockingjay, if nothing else," I reply.

The boy grins. His small positivity makes me smile. To see someone happy, amongst this world of sadness, death, and loss, makes me resonate with happiness.

"We need to go," Boggs is suddenly behind me, urging me to leave. "Why?" I ask. The boy behind me looks confused, sad even.

"Bomber planes," he continues shoving me along.

Suddenly, I panic. Bombers? Do they know I'm here? Have they sent people, specially trained to kill me and my crew?

"Haymitch says it's too dangerous to land, but there's a bunker by that blue building," Gale points out the bunker.

We take off at a run, but the first wave of bombs hit, and I'm launched against a wall. It's free-standing, and doesn't last long under my impact, and starts to collapse in on me.

But I can't move. I'm in between consciousness and sleep. No matter how hard I try, I can't make myself move.

Suddenly, Gale sweeps me out from underneath the collapsing wall.

I start to run, but I don't think I'm headed toward the blue building. I'm sprinting toward three figures, huddled together by a wall.

I crouch down next to them. The oldest child, a girl, looks at me. "Who are you?" she asks, though vague recognition registers on her face. "I'm Peeta Mellark, I'm here to help you," I reply.

I grab her hand, and start to run to the bunker. She takes her brothers hands and follows me. We dive into the bunker, just as another wave hits.

"We were trying to find our father when the bombs hit. We lost our mother in a bombing earlier this week, and didn't want to repeat it," she explains.

"I'm Hailey, this is Braylin and Haylor, my brothers," Hailey continues.

More bombs rain down, and Haylor starts to cry. More bombs, and Braylin joins in too.

"Hailey, Braylin, Haylor?!" a frantic voice calls from outside.

"Daddy!" Braylin says, racing from the bunker and into his father's arms. I try to stop him, but that's when the bombs hit.

They must have seen me, as I'm assaulted by explosions.

I'm dead. I must be dead. There is no way I could have survived that, right?

But I'm alive once more. I wake up, with a horrible pain in my ribs and a throbbing head ache, but alive anyway.

"Peeta, can you tell me what you just witnessed?" Cressida urges.

"I just witnessed the bombing of a hospital in District 8, full of um-armed men, woman and children. There will be no survivors."

"If you think Snow will treat us better if they win, then you're wrong. Don't you see it? Snow doesn't last long in heat. Some men just want to watch the world burn. The Capitol will show us no mercy if we back down. Do you think the Hunger Games will end? The poverty? No, it won't."

"So guess what Snow? Do you see this?" I point to a burning Capitol plane.

"Fire is catching. If we burn, you burn with us!" I shout this at the camera.

"Cut!" Cressida calls, moments before I collapse onto the ground in a heap.

I'm on the hovercraft, to take us back to 13. The pain in my ribs has gotten more intense, and my vision is swimming. But I'm going to stay awake. For Hailey and Haylor's sake.

Braylin and his father were killed in the bombing. I feel like I could have stopped him, stopped some of the grief. But Hailey must have known not all three of them would make it out, right?

"The nurses in 13 have been alerted, they are ready for our return," I hear Cressida say as she leaves the cockpit.

I notice Gale, sitting a chair with a bleeding calf. It nearly makes me barf, thinking of the blood poisoning and Katniss risking her life to get medicine in the first Games.

Katniss. I wonder if she's alive right now. Maybe she's in pain. Maybe she's being tortured. Maybe she's just fine. I may never know, and I'm not sure I want to.

I'm vaguely aware of people talking around me. "We aren't exactly sure what injuries he has, but they're severe," Haymitch says. I hear muffled reply. He must be talking to someone in 13, probably Plutarch.

"We got some good footage, Messalla. We stopped it before he collapsed, but we might have gotten that, why?" Cressida asks. I don't hear the answer, and I'm not really interested.

I look back to Gale, just sitting there, bleeding. I wonder how he got that wound. Probably flying pieces of metal or something.

I look down at myself. I'm strapped into the same chair I was in on the way here, but it's looser. I can move, although I don't really want to.

Boggs comes and sits down next to me. "Coin's gonna be furious," he laughs, though I'm not sure why.

"Yeah," I wheeze. I realize my vocal cords feel like they are burning. Fire _is_ catching. Inside me.

Before long, I pass out. When I wake up, I'm back in 13, in the same room I've always been in. My doctor, Dr. Callaydus, stands by the door writing on a notepad. "Oh, Peeta, you're awake," she says.

I begin to reply, but she stops me. "Don't. We aren't quite sure what happened, but something is wrong with your vocal cords. Please don't try. You might damage them further."

"We think it has to do with the smoke and ash, but we're not sure," she finishes.

I nod. I'm glad to have a reason to not speak. Which means it's easier to retreat into my head.

Dr. Callaydus continues speaking, but I'm not listening. I keep catching bits and pieces of it, but nothing more than that.

Soon, she leaves, and I turn on the TV. Finnick walks in a few minutes later. "Hey," he says, and sits down in a chair on my bedside.

After about the third time we see the hospital in 8 burn, it finally changes. I try to sigh, but it sounds more like a mangled war cry.

Caesar Flickerman appears on the screen. "Welcome, welcome, everyone. Tonight, we have a very special guest."

The camera pans over to where his guest is sitting. Once again, it's Katniss Everdeen.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

I sit up, consumed by my own fear for Katniss. "What have they done to her?" Finnick voices my thoughts aloud, like he could hear it.

She's at least fifteen pounds thinner, and the bags under her eyes are more visible than the layer upon layer of makeup caked onto her face. I notice that some new scars are peeking through the full-body polish they gave her. I wonder if Octavia and Venia and Flavius did that.

"So… Katniss, I keep thinking I'll do my last interview with you, but you always come back to me," Caesar chuckles, although it's not funny.

"I know, Caesar. It's harder every time," she says, her voice strained.

"So Katniss, we would like you to speak on the rumors that Peeta Mellark is filming propaganda for the rebels. Would you to say anything?"

She seems to flinch at the mention of my name. She seems to be trying to figure out what to say, when Caesar says: "How about we show the footage while you figure out what you'd like to say, shall we?" Caesar waves to off-stage, and the footage shows up on the screen.

They left out the speech, inside the hospital, but are very heavy on the explosions. I see myself being blown into the wall, and then collapsing in front of the burning warehouse. I see Gale being hit with a bullet in his leg by a capitol hovercraft that he was shooting at. It ends with footage of me collapsing again.

"I think… I think he's getting what he deserves," Katniss says.

"Mm-hmm," Caesar says.

"It's what a mutt- I mean person like him should get. It's what a person so evil and vile should get in return for their actions," she stammers.

"Ahh, I see."

"The rebels need to stop this, Caesar. It's getting out of hand. What do you think will come out of this? That, what? Some decent species will inherit the smoking remains of the earth?" she asks.

"I'm not sure I'm following…" Caesar says.

"Think about it, Peeta," I realize she's talking to me now. "If you have any control about this, urge them to stop, please. And ask yourself, do you really know the true intentions of the rebels? If you don't, find out," she says.

"Alright, Katniss, I think that's all the time we have," Caesar nods to someone off stage.

"Stop this! Stop it before we are all killed! Please, I beg of you!" Katniss shouts as she's taken away. I hear a faint scream as the camera fades to black.

"We didn't see it," Finnick says. I want to tell him that it didn't work last time, and won't work now.

I shake my head. "No," I rasp. My throat feels like it's lit on fire.

"Peeta, are you ok? Should I call your doctor?" Finnick asks, looking into my eyes. I shake my head again.

Suddenly, I start coughing. Uncontrollably. "I'm gonna get the doctor," Finnick leaves.

When Dr. Callaydus comes, I'm still coughing. I'm not choking, I'm still breathing, but I can't stop.

Moments later, I barf on the floor. It's just bile, but disgusting none the less. I start trembling, all over. Dr. Callaydus calls the head doctor, and he explains it in one word.

"Terror. Shock. Grief," he says.

"How do we stop it?" Dr. Callaydus asks as I barf again.

"We can't. It will stop on its own," he replies solemnly.

I stop coughing a little while later, but continue trembling. Dr. Callaydus asks Finnick some questions. "Were you watching anything worth noting?"

I look at him, but I can't control myself. "Yeah, we saw an interview with Katniss," he replies.

"Oh, that explains that. But it will pass."

"That's good," Finnick says. "Of course," Dr. Callaydus says.

"Mm-hmm."

I barf for a third time, and both Dr. Callaydus and Finnick turn to me. I tremble harder, so hard I can't keep myself upright. I sink back into the pillows, and almost pass out. But I'm determined to stay awake. "Peeta, should we put you to sleep?" Dr. Callaydus asks. I shake my head, but I don't think she can tell.

"I'm going to do it," she says, inserting a needle into my arm. I black out, sinking into oblivion.

"Good morning, Peeta," Dr. Callaydus says.

My trembling has gone down, and I feel much better. "How are you feeling?" Dr. Callaydus asks.

"Much better," I reply.

"Then you should be able to leave today. Besides, you're needed in Command."

Great. Another day of Coin being mad at me for doing something else. Then all sorts of other people being mad, too.

Dr. Callaydus checks my wounds from 8, and tells me I can leave. She checks me out of the hospital, and I enter my compartment.

I sit on my bed, then remember Dr. Callaydus said I was needed in Command. I've never really been the sarcastic type, but I can't help it when it comes to Command.

"Hello Peeta," Plutarch says. "Glad to have you join us."

I nod and sit in a chair. As always, Coin gets start to the point. "We understand that you were attacked during your visit to District 8. We all knew the risks of this escapade, and you could have died."

I don't know why she's telling me this. I was fully aware that I could have died.

"I know you were injured, but we have more to ask of you," Great. I'm so lucky. See, sarcasm.

"And that is…?" I say.

"We need some more footage, so we're going to send you to District 12 with Soldier Hawthorne and Soldier Odair."

Hooray. Damn, I really am sarcastic.

"Alright, let's go to District 12!" Finnick says jokingly. I don't understand why he's joking about it, but then I realize his district wasn't burned to the ground, all his friends and family burned to death.

Even though I was here only a couple of weeks ago, I'm still not ready for what I see. Every time, it's harder to look at the places where I used to live, where I used to laugh.

As I walk toward the bakery, I remember something I wanted to forget. Another time my mother beat me. This time, it was with a rolling pin. I was only five years old, and I was just starting to decorate the cakes.

"What is it?" My mother had asked.

"Fishys!" I exclaimed.

"A squirrel could do better," she scoffed.

"I thought it was good," I said sadly.

"No, Peeta. It's ugly, very, very ugly."

She turned around and removed a rolling pin from a drawer, and brandished it at me.

I cowered in the corner, and she started to hit me with it. I held in my screams, like I had always done.

I tried to escape, and ran out into the backyard, in the rain. My mother looked at me while I ran, and gave me a look that said 'I wish you were never born'.

I dove into the muddy ditch me and my brothers had dug, and cried. I cried for what felt like hours, while the rain soaked me to the bone. When my father returned, I heard him speaking with my mother from the window above me.

"Where's Peeta?" he asked.

"Outside," my mother replied.

"Why are there cupcakes on the floor?"

"They fell."

My father made a noise between a snort and a cough. "Clean it up. I'm going to find Peeta," he said, leaving the room.

"Peeta! Peeta, are you out there?" he asked. I fell silent. I curled up in a ball.

"There you are," he said, sitting down beside me.

I didn't reply. "Oh, what's wrong, Fishy?" he asked, using my old nickname.

"I don't want to talk about it," I said, like always. He never questioned me, never even gave me a second thought.

"What did you put on your cupcakes today?"

"Fish."

"Were those the ones on the floor?"

I nodded solemnly.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Peeta."

"I'll do better next time," I replied.

"You don't have too. You did great, you always do. Sometimes your mother doesn't like them, Peeta."

"Ok."

"Let's go inside, shall we?" I stood up, holding my father's hand.

Damnit, I miss my father.

"Peeta, you okay?" Finnick asks.

I realize I've been staring at the bakery remains for over five minutes now.

"I'm fine. Just- memories," I reply.

"Okay."

"Let's film over here," Cressida calls. Finnick and I follow her, and the rest follow suit.

Why did they make me come back here?


End file.
